Leveling beam for horizontal chamber ovens



Nov. 30, 1937. P. VAN AcKERl-:N

LEVELING BEAM FOR HORIZONTAL CHAMBER OVENS Filed May 13, 1936 R mw Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES new LEVELING BEAM FOR HORIZONTAL CHAM- BER OVENS Paul Van Aokeren, Essen, Germany, assigner, by

mesne assignments,

to Koppers Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application May 13,

1936, Serial No. 79,481

In Germany May 3, 1935 6 Claims.

The invention relates to leveling beams for horizontal chamber ovens, producing gas and coke and in particular to leveling beams for those horizontal chamber ovens in which, in the upper part of the coking chambers, there have been provided several longitudinal projections in the chamber walls on which is supported the front part of the leveling beam.

Ii the coking chamber of a horizontal chamber oven for the productionof gas and coke is filled afresh with coal, the charge after'filling is not uniformly distributed in the chamber. The coal charge produces conical heaps, formed in the chamber reaching up to the oven ceiling and up to the charging holes in the oven roof, respectively. During the carbonization process, the upper part of the chamber, i. e. the so-called gas collecting space along the whole length of the chamber must, however, be free and be in oonnection with the ascension pipe, so that the distillation gases escaping from the coal charge, can be drawn oli. For the purpose of avoiding the troublesome blocking-up of the gas collecting space by the heaps of the freshly charged coal, it is usual to introduce the so-called leveling beam into the chambers, through an opening in the oven door, whereby the heaps of the coal charge are done away with and the gas collecting space is made free.

'Ihe leveling beam must have at least the same length as the coking chamber, so that the coal charge can be leveled over the whole area of the chamber.

On account of the fact, that the chambers of up-to-date coking ovens are usually comparatively long, it often happens that the leveling beam bends downwards at its forward end when it is run into the chamber. Should the leveling beam bend, it is natural that the oven charge will not be uniformly leveled, thus causing certain undesired compressions of the coal charge at those points, where the leveling beam presses too must upon the charge.

In order to avoid the undesired bending of the leveling beam, it has already been suggested to provide longitudinal grooves or projections in the upper part of the chamber walls, in which or upon which the front part of the leveling beam is supported and guided.

My present invention relates to an improvement in those leveling beams, which are guided or supported in longitudinal grooves or projections cf the chamber walls, and has for its object to eliminate certain dioculties which have been encountered with in the former mode of operating those leveling beams.

Since the walls of the horizontal coke ovens are built up of individual refractory bricks, they show in most cases irregularities to quite a considerable extent. Even if the various bricks are carefully laid, the surface of the grooves, or of the projections upon which the leveling beam rests, is not exactly in line. When the oven is in operation for some time, the irregularities mentioned are mostly increased as the brickwork eX- pands and moves due to the heating-up of the oven to the working temperature.

The uneven surface in the longitudinal grooves or of the projections oi the chamber walls, often offers considerable hindrance to the moving of the leveling beam. The front part of the leveling beam and the guide lugs or rollers fitted tor same will push for instance against a projecting brick of the chamber Walls, or into a somewhat widened joint, so that it is impossible for the leveling beam to'move on. Such a jamming or" the leveling beam can be observed especially if deposits of coal or graphite have been formed in the grooves or upon the projections of the chamber walls. Due to these deposits the end of the leveling beam is turned aside and is then rigidly pushed against the brickwork, so that the leveling beam will be jammed in the joints or grip into the recesses of the-brickwork.

My present invention provides on the front part of the leveling beam a sleigh, consisting of two Sledge-runners, projecting on both sides of the leveling beam and movably connected together, in such a way, as to permit a certain relative movement in a transverse direction to the longitudinal axis of the leveling beam.

Still further objects of my invention may be taken from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of my invention as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a vertical section transversely through the end of the leveling beam and coking chamber therefor, constructed according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side view and Fig. 3 is a tcp plan view of the end of the leveling beam.

The leveling beam consists usually of two legs l, which are rmly interconnected by webs 2. At the end part reaching into the chamber, the legs I are provided with bores or bearings for a pivot 3 Xed in the bores, which is secured by split pins 3a; to prevent the pivot irom falling 01,11" Oi the bores. Two journals 4 and 5 are fitted tothe pivot 3, between the legs I of the leveling beam in a revolving and transversally shiftable manner. As may be seen from Fig. 1, the journals t telescopically into each other.

The journals 4, 5 are provided with extensions 6, I, directed upwardly, which are laterally bent outwardly above the beam leg. The runners 8 and 9 are fitted to the outerends of the parts Ia and lI Ia of the extensionsG, I.`

The extensions 6, 1, are provided with projecting parts I0, I I, which as can also be seen from Fig. l, are facing each other` in overlapping relationship. By means of these overlapping parts, I0, I I, the space above the journals 4, 5 is closed, so that it is imposible for the coalas Well as for other solid bodies to plug up the space in which the journals must move.

A spring I2, arranged inside a hollow of the journals 4, 5, serves to push or urge said journals elastically apart.

As may be seen from Fig. 1, the extension partsv Illa. and I Ia as well as the runnersV 859, fixed to same, project on` both-sides over the leveling beam leg: I.Y 1f the leveling beamis run into thechamber, the extension parts Illa. and IIa; or V.theflower vside of the runners' 8,"9 are situated onA the-'projections I4 of the chamber walls I5. Fig. 3 showsthat the runners 8, 9 are well-rounded-oif at the corners so that they cannot stick to the'uneven parts in the brickwork of thechamberfwalls. vThecomparatively great length of ltherunners is likewise favorable, in avoidance off-jamming of the end of the leveling beam.

If considerable deposits of graphite or coal have been formed in the longitudinal grooves or the'. projections of the chamber walls, which are not removed by travelling'the leveling beam once forwards and backwards, the runners of the leveling beam can y'shift aside elasticallyfand thus travel overthe uneven surface, without pressing the vother side of the leveling beam `rigidly against the chamber walls. Consequently," a clamping orjamming of the'leveling beam on the brickwork when making use of my invention is practically impossible. `Morecverycompact deposits which may have collected in the longitudinal grooves or ontheprojections of the chamber walls, can -be easily'removedfby the runners if the leveling beam is repeatedly propelled forwards andb'ackwards. VAs the runners areV thereby lsometimes exposed to a certain wear and tear, it is advisable to fix the runners in such a way that they can be exchanged inthe parts Illa and IIa of the extensions '6, 1, as may-fbe seen from the drawing.vlv

Loose coal'which may have accumulated on the projectionsV or in the grove of the chamber walls or which collects on the plate-like projectingparts, "Ill, II'ofthe leveling beam, can fall downwards intothe co'al Vspace 'of the coking oven through the recesses I3, which are vprovided in the runners. The removal of the coal from the wall projections is, moreover, still facilitated in that the lower side of the runners 8, 9 and the extensions 6, 'I are easily slanted-off or inclined at the ends, as illustrated in' Fig. 3 at I6.

Fig. 3 of the drawing further shows another kind .of elasticity forthe runners. With this modeof carrying out the invention as shown on the drawing, .in` dash-dotted lines, the extensions Sand-.1 have been-provided with elongations IIV whichrare connectedat-their outer end withla semi-circular-spring-I.8by means of-which it is possible to push or urge aside the extensions 6 and 'l and in connection therewith also the runners. With this embodiment of my invention, it is of course understood that the spring I2 can be eliminated.

The distance from the runners 8 and 9 is suitably dimensioned, so that the runners may easily rest against the walls of the chamber after the introduction of the beam" into the oven chamber; this has the advantage, that the chamber walls are freed from dirty spots at every pushing through of the leveling beam. If the runners arethus so designed, they spread out to a small extent even after the leveling beam has been drawn out of the chamber. For this reason, it is preferable to provide guide rails or the like which are inclined outwardly and to fit same to the leveler-bar door opening through which the leveling beam is introduced into the chamber.

The runners will be compressed retractively when pushed between the rails or the like, when running the leveling beam through the door opening and by such means theru'nners are Vpressed tightly together to the necessary degre'for' entrance through the leveler-ba (beam) door opening. l

While I have described my present invention in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, my invention is, however, not limited in all its aspects to the mode of its carrying out as described and shown, but the invention may be variously'embodied vWithin the scope lof the following claims.

I claim: v

l. A` leveling beam for horizontal chamber ovens or the like having longitudinal grooves or projections'in the upper part of the coking chambers, 'for' supporting the front part of the leveling beam when pushed into thechamber, said leveling beam having a sleigh comprising relatively movable runners movably connected'to the front part of the leveling beam so as to be capable of being pushed toward and away from each other thereon, the runners of ysaid sleigh projecting over the leveling'beam on both sides so as lto slide on the longitudinal grooves or projections therefor in the coking chamber, and meanshfor normally pushing apart the runners of sa'idsleigh.

2.A A leveling beam for horizontal chamber ovens or the like having longitudinal grooves or projections in the upper part of the coking chambers, for supporting the front part of the leveling beam when lpushedinto the chamber, said leveling beam having a sleigh comprisingrelatively'movable runners movably connected to the front part of the leveling beam so as to be capable of being pushed toward and away from each other thereon, the runners of said sleigh projecting over theleveling beam on both sides so as to slide on the longitudinal grooves or projections therefor in the coking chamber, and Vmeans for normally pushing apart the' runners of said sleigh', the ends of saidv runners being tapered downwardly towards one another at their ends.

3.' A- leveling beam for horizontal chamber ovens or the like having longitudinal grooves or projections -inA the upper part of the coking chambersgfor supporting the front part of the leveling beam when pushed into the chamber, said leveling beam having a sleigh comprising relatively movable runners movably connected to the front part ofthe leveling beam so as to be capable of being pushed toward and away from each other thereon, the runners of Said sleigh projecting over the leveling beam on both sides so as to slide on the longitudinal grooves or projections therefor in the coking chamber, and means for normally pushing apart the runners of said sleigh, said runners being arranged on plate-like members shiftably movable one over the other in such manner that the connection for connecting the sleigh to the beam for relative movement of the runners is always covered.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which the sleigh comprises extensions extending longitudinally beyond the respective runners, and the means for normally pushing apart the runners comprises a semi-circular spring connecting the ends of the extensions.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and in which runners are connected to the beam by journals mounted on a bearing therefor, and in which the journals of runners on opposite sides of the beam fit together telescopically, and the means for normally pushing apart the runners comprises a. spring inside one of the journals and in spring pressing engagement With the other journal.

6. A leveling beam for horizontal chamber. ovens having longitudinal grooves or projections in the upper part of the coking chambers for supporting the front part of the leveling beam when pushed into the chamber, said leveling beam having elements for sliding over the longitudinal grooves or projections to sustain the beam from sagging during leveling in the chamber, said elements being movably connected with the beam so as to be capable of giving way to obstructions they may encounter on the grooves or projections during movement of the leveling beam in the chamber, and means for normally urging the elements outwardly from the beam into position for seating relationship With the grooves or projections.

PAUL VAN ACKEREN. 

